← 19 May Thursday 20 May 2021 · to 23:59 UTC 21 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
22,810 stories about harm· Trends· Every past day

We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.

How to read these numbers →

Protests in Cantel (Guatemala), violence in Jerusalem and wildfires in Greece drew the news. Israel's coverage was about twice as angry as the world's. Over the whole world, the tone was about as usual.

Help and hope: reports of peace efforts ran at about twice the usual rate →
Part of lifeHealth 50 in 100 of the stories about harm · less than usual Country that rose mostTaiwan 47 in 100 of its 194 stories, usually 34
RegionMiddle East & North Africa 50 in 100 of its stories, usually 44
Tone of the words About as usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Protests & strikes

Guatemala

32 of its 37 stories (86%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Cantel accounted for 16 of Guatemala's 32 stories about harm, carried by 22 outlets. 11 of Cantel's 16 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of arrests ran at about 5 times the usual rate (16 stories). Its coverage was about twice as grief-stricken as the world's.

Guatemala over 30 days → its stories → Cantel stories →
Conflict & violence

Israel

1,448 of its 2,159 stories (67%) were about people being harmed, usually 61%. Jerusalem accounted for 825 of Israel's 1,448 stories about harm, carried by 813 outlets. Reports of refugees ran at about 4 times the usual rate (130 stories). Natural hazards were named in 86 of its stories about harm, about three times usual. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Israel over 30 days → its stories → Jerusalem stories →
Disasters & accidents

Greece

85 of its 207 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of evacuations ran at more than ten times the usual rate (23 stories). Wildfires were named in 14 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

Greece over 30 days → its stories →
Rights & justice

Nigeria

Reports of people displaced ran at about twice the usual rate (26 stories). Gas explosion was named in 13 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about one and a half times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Nigeria over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Conflict & violence

Croatia

23 of its 43 stories (53%) were about people being harmed, usually 15%. Zagreb accounted for 21 of Croatia's 23 stories about harm, carried by 2 outlets. Reports of people killed ran at about 6 times the usual rate (20 stories). Earthquake was named in 21 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Kashmir

48 of its 86 stories (56%) were about people being harmed, usually 44%. Reports of people affected ran at about three times the usual rate (5 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →
Health

Taiwan

92 of its 194 stories (47%) were about people being harmed, usually 34%. Taipei accounted for 59 of Taiwan's 92 stories about harm, carried by 88 outlets.

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Yemen

31 of its 41 stories (76%) were about people being harmed, usually 59%. Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

its stories →
Displacement

Lebanon

42 of its 103 stories (41%) were about people being harmed, usually 32%. Reports of refugees ran at about 4 times the usual rate (11 stories).

its stories →
Rights & justice

Azerbaijan

20 of its 51 stories (39%) were about people being harmed, usually 28%. Reports of people affected ran at about 8 times the usual rate (7 stories).

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: earthquake in Croatia (21 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); illness in Indonesia (13 of its stories, about 4 times its usual); road crashes in France (28 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); storms in Ethiopia (12 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); respiratory illness in Malaysia (18 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

24 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 25; 24 the day before
28 in 10024 in 10021 Apr28 Apr5 May12 May20 May21 Apr: 24 in 10022 Apr: 24 in 10023 Apr: 24 in 10024 Apr: 28 in 10025 Apr: 28 in 10026 Apr: 24 in 10027 Apr: 24 in 10028 Apr: 24 in 10029 Apr: 24 in 10030 Apr: 24 in 1001 May: 25 in 1002 May: 25 in 1003 May: 25 in 1004 May: 24 in 1005 May: 24 in 1006 May: 24 in 1007 May: 24 in 1008 May: 26 in 1009 May: 27 in 10010 May: 25 in 10011 May: 25 in 10012 May: 25 in 10013 May: 24 in 10014 May: 24 in 10015 May: 26 in 10016 May: 28 in 10017 May: 25 in 10018 May: 24 in 10019 May: 24 in 10020 May: 24 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 20 May. The big dot is this day; the shaded band is a normal day (the 30 days before it). Click a day to open it. Based on 22,810 stories about harm among 94,669 counted on 20 May.

Read the day's briefing

Reports of peace efforts, a sign of help, ran at about twice the usual rate. 24 in every 100 of the day's 94,669 news stories were about people being harmed, as usual. In Croatia's news, mentions of the earthquake ran more than ten times their usual. Guatemala stood out: 86% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 44%. A year earlier, on 20 May 2020, 33 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 24 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Israel67 in 100 of its 2,159 stories · usually 61 · mostly conflict & violence Kashmir56 in 100 of its 86 stories · usually 44 · mostly conflict & violence Afghanistan53 in 100 of its 166 stories · usually 64 · mostly conflict & violence Palestine51 in 100 of its 351 stories · usually 52 · mostly conflict & violence Tunisia51 in 100 of its 61 stories · usually 49 · mostly health

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Jerusalem Israel339 stories about protests or strikes, of its 825 Washington US232 stories about protests or strikes, of its 784 Chicago US49 stories about protests or strikes, of its 204 New York US43 stories about protests or strikes, of its 251 Gaza Palestine33 stories about protests or strikes, of its 140

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: about as warm as its own usual or lessZambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessYemen: about as warm as its own usual or lessVietnam: about as warm as its own usual or lessVenezuela: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessU.S. Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuam: about as warm as its own usual or lessPuerto Rico: too little coverage to readUnited States: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: too little coverage to readFalkland Islands: too little coverage to readCayman Islands: too little coverage to readIsle of Man: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited Kingdom: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited Arab Emirates: about as warm as its own usual or lessUkraine: about as warm as its own usual or lessUganda: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTurkey: about as warm as its own usual or lessTunisia: about as warm as its own usual or lessTrinidad & Tobago: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readThailand: about as warm as its own usual or lessTanzania: about as warm as its own usual or lessTajikistan: too little coverage to readTaiwan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSyria: about as warm as its own usual or lessSwitzerland: about as warm as its own usual or lessSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Sudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSri Lanka: about as warm as its own usual or lessSpain: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Africa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomalia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovakia: too little coverage to readSlovenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSingapore: about as warm as its own usual or lessSierra Leone: about as warm as its own usual or lessSeychelles: about as warm as its own usual or lessSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: too little coverage to readSaudi Arabia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Vincent: too little coverage to readSt. Lucia: too little coverage to readRwanda: about as warm as its own usual or lessRussia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRomania: about as warm as its own usual or lessPortugal: about as warm as its own usual or lessPoland: about as warm as its own usual or lessPhilippines: about as warm as its own usual or lessPeru: about as warm as its own usual or lessParaguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: too little coverage to readPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorway: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessNigeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiger: about as warm as its own usual or lessNicaragua: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuraçao: too little coverage to readNepal: about as warm as its own usual or lessNamibia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMozambique: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: too little coverage to readMontenegro: too little coverage to readMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMexico: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritania: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalta: about as warm as its own usual or lessMali: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalaysia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalawi: about as warm as its own usual or lessMadagascar: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: about as warm as its own usual or lessLibya: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiberia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLesotho: about as warm as its own usual or lessLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessKuwait: about as warm as its own usual or lessKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: too little coverage to readKenya: about as warm as its own usual or lessKazakhstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJordan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJapan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJamaica: about as warm as its own usual or lessItaly: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalestine: about as warm as its own usual or lessIreland: about as warm as its own usual or lessIraq: about as warm as its own usual or lessIran: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndonesia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIceland: about as warm as its own usual or lessHungary: too little coverage to readHonduras: about as warm as its own usual or lessHaiti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuyana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-Bissau: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreece: about as warm as its own usual or lessGhana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGermany: about as warm as its own usual or lessGeorgia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGambia: too little coverage to readGabon: too little coverage to readFrance: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: too little coverage to readNew Caledonia: too little coverage to readFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFinland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFiji: about as warm as its own usual or lessEthiopia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: about as warm as its own usual or lessEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: about as warm as its own usual or lessCzech Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuba: about as warm as its own usual or lessCroatia: about as warm as its own usual or lessCôte d'Ivoire: about as warm as its own usual or lessCosta Rica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDR Congo: about as warm as its own usual or lessCongo: about as warm as its own usual or lessComoros: too little coverage to readColombia: about as warm as its own usual or lessHong Kong: about as warm as its own usual or lessChile: about as warm as its own usual or lessChad: about as warm as its own usual or lessCentral African Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessCape Verde: about as warm as its own usual or lessCanada: about as warm as its own usual or lessCameroon: about as warm as its own usual or lessCambodia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMyanmar: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurundi: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurkina Faso: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrunei: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrazil: about as warm as its own usual or lessBotswana: about as warm as its own usual or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: too little coverage to readBelgium: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelarus: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: about as warm as its own usual or lessBangladesh: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahrain: too little coverage to readBahamas: too little coverage to readAzerbaijan: about as warm as its own usual or lessAustria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAustralia: about as warm as its own usual or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArmenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessArgentina: too little coverage to readAntigua & Barbuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessAngola: about as warm as its own usual or lessAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlbania: about as warm as its own usual or lessAfghanistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJammu & Kashmir: about as warm as its own usual or lessGaza: about as warm as its own usual or lessWest Bank: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): too little coverage to readWestern Sahara (Free Zone): too little coverage to readAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSiachen Glacier: about as warm as its own usual or lessCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: too little coverage to readMarshall Islands: too little coverage to readNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: too little coverage to readChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: too little coverage to readPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: too little coverage to readBermuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessBritish Virgin Islands: too little coverage to readTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuernsey: too little coverage to readSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: too little coverage to readMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: too little coverage to readSt. Barthélemy: too little coverage to readMacao: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorfolk Island: too little coverage to readSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: too little coverage to readGibraltar: too little coverage to readMayotte: too little coverage to readQatar: warmth about its own usualNew Zealand: warmth about its own usualIsrael: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualIdaho, US -- conflict & violence: 20 stories, carried by 55 outletsNew Hampshire, US -- health: 24 stories, carried by 21 outletsMarib, Yemen -- conflict & violence: 12 stories, carried by 44 outletsBeijing, China -- health: 102 stories, carried by 131 outlets
Warmer than its own usual The warmest eventsAbout as warm or lessToo little news

Each country shaded by the warmth in its news — care, help, gratitude — against its own last 30 days. Stronger colour: further above. Dots: the events whose coverage carried the most warmth, even where the event itself began as harm. Warm words, not good outcomes. Click a country or a dot.

Warmest news

No country's news was much warmer than its usual (a quarter or more).

Warmest events

● Idaho US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 20 stories ● New Hampshire US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 24 stories ● Marib Yemen about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 12 stories ● Beijing China about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · health · 102 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Health50% 11,226 stories · less than usual (usually 53%) Rights & justice18% 3,976 stories · about as usual Conflict & violence11% 2,546 stories · about as usual Disasters & accidents10% 2,315 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given3% 769 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 761 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 675 stories · about as usual Displacement1% 321 stories · about as usual

Of the stories about people being harmed, what part of life each was about. The mark is usual.

Harm reported 30 days →

Stories reporting people killed5,958 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected1,900 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests1,534 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured1,275 at about the usual rate Stories reporting refugees310 at about twice the usual rate · most about Israel and Ethiopia Stories reporting people displaced218 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about Israel and Nigeria Stories reporting abductions174 at about the usual rate Stories reporting evacuations103 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people falling ill24 at about the usual rate

Stories that report it, not people: we count what reporters wrote, not what happened.

How it felt 30 days →

harshwarm

The words in the day's stories were about as usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angerabout as usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little less than usual
● Fearabout as usual

From the words reporters used across the whole day, never one story. Fear is the weakest of the four measures. How?

The weekly briefing · 19 Oct – 25 Oct

The week in human impact

Read the week →

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How to read these numbers →

These are counts of stories, not counts of suffering. Most of what happens to people is never reported at all.